Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Frio and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $678 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
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Cabo Frio Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$678

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cabo Frio and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cabo Frio and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $678 per month in Cabo Frio vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Cabo Frio $678
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,113 per month in Cabo Frio vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,113
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,548 per month in Cabo Frio vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,548
Nosara $3,818

Cabo Frio is about 63% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cabo Frio sits 50% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 R$29.77

$12.35 ₡5,539

-52.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 R$152

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-51.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 R$34.79

$7.52 ₡3,373

-8.78%

Cappuccino

$1.74 R$8.81

$4.41 ₡1,978

-60.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 R$6.98

$1.74 ₡780

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 R$2.60

$1.31 ₡587

-61.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 R$6.19

$3.28 ₡1,471

-62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R$9.87

$4.47 ₡2,004

-56.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 R$3.90

$1.56 ₡701

-50.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 R$7.61

$3.02 ₡1,355

-50.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 R$3.87

$2.51 ₡1,125

-69.72%

Eggs

$1.62 R$8.20

$3.57 ₡1,603

-54.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 R$41.59

$7.43 ₡3,333

10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 R$17.30

$10.52 ₡4,717

-67.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 R$48.74

$13.97 ₡6,265

-31.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R$9.71

$2.35 ₡1,052

-18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.61 ₡720

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.89

$4.80 ₡2,152

-80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.19

$1.61 ₡724

-24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 R$3.38

$3.80 ₡1,703

-82.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 R$4.32

$3.69 ₡1,657

-76.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 R$2.87

$1.13 ₡507

-49.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.95

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 R$8.24

$5.18 ₡2,321

-68.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 R$30.58

$19.88 ₡8,916

-69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.90 ₡1,300

-65.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.95

$3.63 ₡1,626

-62.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 R$6.97

$1.12 ₡504

22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 R$416

$72.6 ₡32.6K

13.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.51

$2.14 ₡958

-40.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R$4.07

$1.57 ₡703

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 R$41.74

$8.52 ₡3,823

-3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.22

$1.52 ₡682

-19.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.1K R$106.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-2.57%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.0K R$157.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-10.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$58.6 R$297

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-39.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.84 R$39.76

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-78.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.82 R$70.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-74.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.66 R$110

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-69.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 R$24.95

$7.89 ₡3,539

-37.64%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$148 R$748

$494 ₡221.6K

-70.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,691 R$13.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-77.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.04 R$233

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-14.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 R$205

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 R$279

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-29.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 R$247

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-38.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 R$2,251

$788 ₡353.4K

-43.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 R$604

$794 ₡356.2K

-85.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 R$3,429

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 R$1,420

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-80.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 R$1,411

$864 ₡387.3K

-67.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

8.62

23.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cabo Frio: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Cabo Frio

$162 23.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 117% $190

Accommodation & Living

Cabo Frio

$119 17.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 567% $675

Eating Out

Cabo Frio

$106 15.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 99.9% $106

Getting Around

Cabo Frio

$93 13.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 6.3% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo Frio

$86 12.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 40.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo Frio

$80 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 131% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo Frio

$32 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 177% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $444 in Cabo Frio versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 210% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cabo Frio versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $352 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:39 2:39 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

3 h behind Cabo Frio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,161

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cabo Frio Nosara 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo Frio
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cabo Frio vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 171%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,016 per month in Cabo Frio and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $678 in Cabo Frio and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 171%.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Cabo Frio. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $678, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cabo Frio. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.